


Investigation - Minister Seo

by faustianpixie



Series: Daily Lives of Regular Palace Residents 1- Soonhoon [40]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Assassin Hoshi, Character Study, Confidante DK, Crown Prince Chan, M/M, Minister Seo(OC), Mystery, Philosophy, Protectiveness, Secrets, Watch the author philosophise art...cuz they can
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:56:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26026825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faustianpixie/pseuds/faustianpixie
Summary: “Minister Seo, I was in between my class. Could you please tell me what it was that you wanted to visit me for?”He looked up and acted surprised. “Oh! I am sorry for interrupting! It was just that I was...I was merely excited!” He managed. “I came across a painting that might be to your interest”Our interest actually“And was impatient to show you.”~~~~~~~~~Minister Seo visits Dino while DK is around. And tried to get them to tell the whereabouts of their friend Hoshi.PLEASE TRY!!!
Relationships: Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi & Lee Chan | Dino, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi & Lee Seokmin | DK, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Lee Chan | Dino &; Lee Seokmin | DK, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Daily Lives of Regular Palace Residents 1- Soonhoon [40]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828549
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32





	Investigation - Minister Seo

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN~~~  
> I am putting this up a little early because I have work to do and then I will sleep~ Its an hour early  
> I hope you all like it~~~  
> The end of part one writing is in sight so hopefully I will give you a whole and complete this...because anything not complete doesn't sit by me  
> FAUSTIAN PIXIE

“Minister Seo has arrived, My Prince.” A servant he had sent announced.

The voice echoed through the Crown Prince’s chambers. It was a good symbol. He had the rights to meet the royals out of the court after all. As a palace resident maybe.

_ Anything would be good enough. Poor boy wouldn’t question it. _

“Remember what I said. Present it with a flourish.” He muttered to the trembling servant by his side. She was always a frail thing. But her mother had insisted on being introduced to the prince to curry favor. If it worked, it was better even for him. The girl’s will didn’t matter. Her utility however, did. 

“The Prince invites you in Your Lordship.”

“Hmm.” He said brushing the servant aside and striding into the chambers for the first time.

The Crown Prince’s Chamber was a cerulean blue with strains of white and light blue adornments all over. Not silver, but white. An ivory that was clearly of high quality. The room wasn’t the audacious wealth at first glance that blinded people with the amount of gold, but it was the kind that existed in the background. A closer look and one would ask themselves how they missed it.

The Crown Prince Lee was sitting on the floor with books open in simple robes...and was not alone.`

There was a man who was smiling at him quite openly and was not someone he had seen much. A bright smile and a very prominent nose. The man was of a bright countenance that was rather unnerving. He had just met the man after all.

_ Who is that man? _

He bowed to the Crown Prince.

“May I sit Your Highness?” 

The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow but nodded. He grinned and sat himself primly. When the girl behind him made to sit, he glared at her to stay standing.

_ Insolent girl _

The Crown Prince also gestured for her to sit and this time she shook her vigorously and stood a little straighter.

“Minister Seo, I was in between my class. Could you please tell me what it was that you wanted to visit me for?”

He looked up and acted surprised. “Oh! I am sorry for interrupting! It was just that I was...I was merely excited!” He managed. “I came across a painting that might be to your interest”  _ Our interest actually _ “And was impatient to show you.”

“So impatient as to disrupt the Prince’s learning? Quite bold.” The other man in the room said.

“Seokmin-hyung! It’s okay!” The Crown Prince said. “If it is interesting, we can discuss it together no?”

He frowned. He hadn’t intended for anyone else to be there for his conversation with the prince, but if they are this familiar with each other, it would seem highly unlikely that he would leave. Even if he asked for the King.

He sighed lightly. He will have to make do with this situation.

“It is art after all. Maybe we can do something related to it.” ‘Seokmin’ said.

_ We could all use some information about it. _

“I have procured the description of the person in the painting and have had my house’s most talented painters paint exactly as described.”

The Crown Prince seemed to be intrigued. Good. It meant he was doing a good job.

“You seem very impressed with this painting. I hope we admire it intensely.” Seokmin commented lightly

_ What is that supposed to mean? _

Though it wouldn’t matter.

“What do you mean by that hyung?” Suddenly, the Crown Prince’s attention was snatched from him. He frowned at Seokmin.

“Well, I am quoting one of those books Joshua and Myungho are very fond of...but it is that the only reason for creating something useless should be that we admire it immensely.”

Everyone else in the room gasped.

“Art? Useless? Sir I-”

“Minister Seo, whether you have the painting or not in your room, or your sitting room or even your armoury won’t mean a whit.”

The Crown Prince however frowned. “Let’s see the picture then! Ignore my hyung. He is a cynic of painting then!”

“I just said I was quoting someone else right?” Seokmin said.

He had to rectify that. “Art is a way of recording history Sir.”

“It is a way to romanticise it I assure you. It will tell you nothing about its contents, but who oversaw it.” Seokmin countered.

He frowned. Was that a jab at him? Or a warning to tread carefully now that he knew he had an ulterior motive to bringing the painting?

“Very well, we shall let us decide for ourselves when we see the painting!” He spinned. “Eun-Kyung?”

“Y-Yes!” The girl trembled. “I-I present you the piece titled - The Royal Assassin.” She said with only a slight stutter.

She took off the purple cloth with a flourish of dainty hands and exposed the portrait.

It was an impressive piece. Hoshi, the Assassin as he had heard from the West and his spies there, was portrayed with the tiger mask and black robes. On the hip, tied to the belt, characteristic curved swords. A cheeky glint that was natural to Hoshi’s eyes as was a steady and firm gait. He hadn’t seen anyone like that before to claim he was around. But to confirm, he had to gauge something different.

He first decided to deduce The Crown Prince’s reaction. One of fascination and curiosity. In fact it seemed to have been solidified into a burning desire to know more. There was complete absorption into the piece. As if it held just what he needed and he was nearly there.

_ Perfect _

Seokmin on the other hand, was one of cool apathy. One which he hadn’t expected at all. Such a shift from a man who was smiling brightly in the beginning.

_ Exactly what I was searching for. This man knows something. _

He grinned.

“Are you okay Sir?” He asked, putting up a concerned look on his face.

Seokmin turned to him and smiled brightly again.

“Yes! But I do think the man in the picture may not be as impressive.”

He grinned. “Oh?”

The Crown Prince also picked something up and turned in an order to speak.

“Well, every portrait drawn is not of the sitter. But of the artist. It is his perception on the canvas. The real man may be vastly different no?”

He was deflecting. But it wasn’t something that revealed anything solid. Everything abstract. But one thing stood out. This man had met the Assassin in real life. That meant he was nearby. And that meant in the capital city. But that was too wide a net to cast. However inquiring around there won’t help.

“What do you know of him? What is the news from the West?” The Crown Prince asked in a hurried tone.

He smiled happily. This boy seemed too excited for it to be a mere coincidence.

“Well, no one has seen him fight. That is how clean the man finishes every mission.”

That seemed to draw him even more.

“Well, he has his identity well hidden so...we can’t say much about him can we? Only that he came here and is soon going to be an asset of the South Eastern Kingdom.”

Seokmin’s eyes darkened. The man didn’t like the thought of that. 

Minister Seo grinned inwardly. 

_ See? Seokmin-ssi! Art isn’t useless. It just got me what I wanted. _

_ Art doesn’t mirror the person drawing it....but the person looking at it. _

~~~~~From the Private Account of the Minister Seo Hyunsik~~~~~

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT SO FAR!!!  
> This is me setting precedence for the sequels to this and maybe even doing a nice oneshot I have thought of uwu  
> The idea of 'Art is Useless' and the other ideas comes from the Oscar Wilde book Picture of Dorian Gray. It is one of my favorite books and I thought this would be a nice way to put my thoughts on it uwu. Yes I am a nerd...it comes with being an English major in college and this is the way I vent it uwu  
>  **QUESTION FOR COMMENTS: What are your thoughts on the phrase 'ART IS USELESS' and that 'any portrait painted with feeling is that of the artist and not the sitter'?**  
>   
>  PLEASE COMMENT YOUR ANSWER BELOW  
>   
>   
> PLEASE COMMENT IN GENERAL T_T  
> THANK YOUUUU  
> FAUSTIAN PIXIE  
> @Myalurks This is my public twitter ID! Do interact uwu


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